An Unaccepted Love
by Knight in Writing Armor
Summary: Years after the war for the Ring, Eomer takes his son on a tour of Rohan during his wife, Lothiriel's absence. There, in the deepest parts of Rohan, the king meets a young woman who will change his life forever. Rated T for extramarital situations.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first LOTR fanfic, and I decided to examine what would happen if Eomer hadn't fallen in love with Lothiriel. What if the marriage was arranged? Anyway, this is set years after their wedding and the war for the Ring. Eomer goes astray from his unhappy marriage, in short. Hope you enjoy, and please review!**

An Unaccepted Love Story Chapter 1

As he watched Lothiriel and her caravan of guards ride away for Gondor, he breathed a sigh of relief. _Finally_, Eomer thought, turning back to the Golden Hall. He had been waiting for weeks, no, months for this trip, as had Lothiriel. She wanted to get back to Dol Amroth the see her family, and he wanted to have some sort of freedom in his life again.

The people in the streets bowed to him and murmured, "Eomer king," as he passed, but he paid them no mind. He was too busy thinking about his married life. He had only married Lothiriel because it was convenient and necessary for establishing a trade route between Rohan and Dol Amroth. He had never really given the marriage much thought, and though Eowyn was furious that he didn't marry for love, he had done it anyway, thinking that it wouldn't be too bad.

But is was bad. They fought constantly over the smallest things. She tried to control his every move, and would rather have him drinking tea inside than riding out with his men.

"You are the King, it is far beneath your dignity to go riding out like a common soldier," she would say, brushing her hair back impatiently. They had produced one son, Eorain, and though he was Eomer's pride and joy, he sometimes reminded him of his mother. This was almost unbearable to him, and he would not eat in the Golden Hall if Lothiriel was there. She was not liked in the court, and never rode a horse unless it was absolutely necessary. When he had brought her home to Edoras, she had asked,

"But don't you have carriages?"

"No, we are the horse-lords, why on earth would we have carriages?"

"It seems a very…primitive way to travel, but if I have no other option…"

He walked into the, mercifully quiet hall, and relished the fact that no one would be criticizing him anytime soon.

That evening, he ate dinner with Eorain and a few other people of the court, and for the first time in nine years, he truly enjoyed his dinner. He enjoyed talking with Eorain about war, battle, and horses, things that Lothiriel never allowed at the dinner table.

He loved watching his son grow up, and now, at nine years old, he was just becoming really familiar with battle tactics and sword play. Eomer had felt so young when his son was born, he had only been nineteen himself, yet he was proud of the young man he had become. He often hoped that he had been a good father, and had tried to spend as much time with Eorain as he could.

People moved more freely in the hall that evening. Most of the time, they tried their best to avoid the Queen, and it seemed to be a relief to everyone that she was gone.

Lothiriel was not at all liked in the Mark. She tried to make all those of the Court learn Elvish, and had grown angry when they refused. She was cruel to her maids, and controlled every aspect of the house.

He went into his chamber that night, feeling at peace with everything. He had rarely felt so relaxed, at least, not in years. He pulled of his shirt and climbed into bed, reveling in the fact that he had it all to himself. Lothiriel had insisted that they share the same bed, no matter how angry they were at each other. If he tried to stay in another room, she would come and find him and drag him back to their room. He blew out the candle by the bed, and lay in the dark, thinking about what he would do with this newfound freedom.

The next morning, he got up, stretched, and washed his face in the basin of warm water his servant had left in there when he had woken him. He put on a green shirt and tunic and went into the hall, where many of his men and the small court were, laughing and talking over breakfast. They all jumped up when they saw him, and said,

"Hail Eomer king!"

He waved them down, and sat next to Gamling and Eothain, his right-hand men.

"I have been thinking," he said, as a servant put a full plate of breakfast in front of him, "That I might travel while Lothiriel is away. She hardly lets me go out anymore, so I thought I should take the opportunity. I also think that I should take Eorain on a tour of Rohan; he has hardly ever left Edoras."

The men nodded in agreement, looking pleased.

"Very well, we set out at dawn."

"Dawn!" cried Gamling, looking aghast, "But my lord, who will rule the people in your absence?"

"Erkenbrand can do that," he said, smiling at them, "I have complete faith that you will get all the preparations done before we leave tomorrow."

They looked at him, shocked, as he got up and walked back down the hall, out the doors and towards the stables. He knew that Eorain would be in there, as he always was in the mornings. He wanted to be the one to tell his son that they would be going on a trip together. He had always known that his son was a true man of Rohan, but Lothiriel had always insisted on keeping him inside much of the time, teaching him Sindarin and who knew what other Gondorian rubbish.

He saw his son's dirty blond hair bobbing near the end of a stable, where he was tending his pony, Icebrand. The pony was his pride and joy, and he always got into the stables whenever he could to see him or ride him.

"Eorain," Eomer said, looking affectionately at the way his son brushed his pony's mane. Eorain looked up and beamed at his father, Eomer always liked to think that he was his son's favorite, and often had to remind himself that it was not a competition for his affections.

"Yes, Father?" asked Eorain, putting away the brush he had been using and facing his father.

"Eorain, you and I are going on a tour of Rohan, starting tomorrow. We will see all the big cities: Aldburg, Helm's Deep, and even the villages. How does that sound?"

Eorain smiled even more widely and he said,

"I would love it, Father! I cannot wait to go! I can take Icebrand, cant I?"

"But of course," he smiled at his son's enthusiasm, "How else would a Rider get around, but on his horse?"

Eorain jumped up and said,

"I must get ready, if we are leaving tomorrow!"

He ran back towards the hall, and Eomer smiled after him. He was glad that his son was so looking forward to their journey, as he was. It had been so long since he had left Edoras for an extended period, for Lothiriel had commanded him to make his patrols shorter and farther apart.

He sometimes wondered why he gave into her demands. The truth was, he had always stood by his father's words: _A happy life is a happy wife_. He had done everything he could to make Lothiriel happy, and it had only made his life miserable. He shook himself out of these dark thoughts, and went back to make ready for their journey.

The next morning, the group that would be accompanying him and Eorain were waiting to depart by the gates of Edoras. There were about twenty of them, all his men, and all willing to make the long journey all around Rohan. Eorain was almost jumping up and down on his pony, and Eomer looked down at him from Firefoot. He tried not to show that he was just as excited about leaving.

They set out only minutes later, and Eomer enjoyed the ride. The weather was fine, and a cool breeze cooled their faces as they rode. They rode the entire first day, and most of the second day, until they arrived at the first large village they had come across. He didn't intend to stay here, but thought that they should at least ride through the village. He turned to his men and said,

"Does anyone know the name of this village? We are to ride through it, and I feel, if it has a name, I should know it."

One of his senior Eored, Theosain, said,

"Yes, my lord. My brothers and I live here. It's name is Frenuseld. If I may ask, my lord, my brothers and I have not seen our father and sister for a great deal of time. We wondered if we might at least spend the night here, so that we might see them.

He looked at the man before him, and his brothers, Eothrain and Gamon, behind him, looking desperately hopeful at the idea of seeing their family. He understood their longing, it had been many months since he had let these three go home, he always seemed to need them for something. They had become almost indispensable to him. He smiled at them and said,

"But of course, it is no problem Theosain. We would be happy to stay here for a night. Are there any accommodations in the village, or will we camp tonight?"

"There is a sizeable inn, my lord," said Eothrain, looking overjoyed, "There should be plenty of room there."

"Very well," he said, "Onward!"

They arrived in the village only minutes later, and the three brothers headed straight to what they said was their father's house. He followed them, telling them that he would like to meet their family. The boys looked at each other nervously, and Gamon said,

"Of course, my lord. My father may still be in the stables, for he is the stable master, though my sister, Halan should be at home."

They dismounted as the rest of them men headed toward the inn. Eomer walked through the village, looking at the small houses with interest. He supposed he, as king, should know of all the villages in Rohan, but many got lost in the crowd. The boys led him up a small side road, and turned to a house with a stable attached and a large dog lying in the doorway. The dog began to bark with joy at the sight of the brothers and ran up to lick their ears excitedly. They responded in kind, rubbing the dog's ears affectionately and looking nervously back at Eomer.

A man ran out of the house, saying

"Down Andro, what are you-"

He saw the brothers and immediately ran down to them and embraced them tightly. He was tall, like them and had the long blond hair of a man of Rohan, contrasting to the boys' slightly darker locks. He looked like a man who worked with horses, and Eomer could see that he had the hands of a horse-tamer. He looked around at him, and his jaw dropped. He immediately sank into a bow, and muttered,

"My King…"

He stood up and looked at him, still clearly shocked, when Theorain said,

"The king and his son are on a tour of Rohan, and when we arrived here, he generously allowed us to stay the night here."

The man looked at him again and said,

"I thank you my lord, my daughter and I were worried for our boys. My name is Heman, son of Theowred. Please, come in."

They walked into the small house, which was made up of what looked like four rooms. The large front room was clearly a kitchen and a living room, and there were three doors which led presumably to bedrooms. They were gestured into chairs and Heman began to bustle around making tea.

"Where is Halan?" asked Theosain, looking at his father.

"Out riding, I suppose. You know Halan, no one will ever hold her down. May Bema help the young man who catches her eye."

He passed around four mugs of what looked like an herb tea. Eomer sipped his, and was shocked at how delicious and refreshing it was. Heman looked at him and said,

"My lord, what has brought you out here in these parts of Rohan, if I may ask?"

"Oh, well I promised my son that I would bring him on a tour of Rohan, and since the Queen has left for Gondor, I felt that there was no better time for us to go."

Heman nodded and opened his mouth to ask something else when a voice was heard calling,

"Papa? Papa, are you home?"

"Yes, Halan, I am home," Heman called out, glancing nervously at Eomer as he spoke.

She walked into the room, and Eomer felt all the air leave his lungs. She was standing there with her dark hair tied loosely up, in riding breeches and a shirt, looking shocked at who was in her house. Her brothers stood up and hugged her, and he could not take his eyes away from her face. Her green eyes looked proud and calculating, and she looked at him steadily.

He managed to tear his eyes away from her, and he looked at the ground, knowing that he was in trouble, big, big trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sure many of you did not expect this story to continue, and for that I am truly, truly sorry. I have no excuse, I merely got caught up with another story, and sort of abandoned this one. But here we are, and I do hope you will give it another chance. Also, to any newcomers, please enjoy! R & R!**

* * *

An Unaccepted Love Ch 2

"Halan, this is Eomer, our king," said Heman, looking between them.

She arched and eyebrow at him and made a short curtsy, murmuring,

"My King."

Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. He bowed slightly and said,

"My Lady."

"I am no lady," she said, looking at him almost angrily.

"Halan!" Heman exclaimed.

Eomer only laughed,

"Think nothing of it, good Heman. I must really be going, I can find my own way, please, spend time with your family."

He turned and walked out of the house, trying not to run. He had not expected that. Not in the least.

He had never been in love. He certainly wasn't in love with his wife. They only got along occasionally, and were hardly ever together. They were too different. She had been raised in a palace of stone by the sea and he had grown up with horses and mountains surrounding him. He had been forced to become king, and she was used to holding court. She enjoyed doing ladylike things. He enjoyed battling and riding with his Eored. She felt Eorain should be raised one way, he felt he should be raised another. There was no love there. There was tolerance there. Nothing more. Yet, what he had just experienced was surreal. Halan. An interesting name. An interesting young woman. So confident, so unshakeable.

He shook himself out him thinking about her as he approached the inn. Such thoughts were ridiculous. He knew his place. His place was remaining truthful to his wife, however painful that might be. He could not destroy his honor. He had made his choice, and he had to live with it. And what was more, he couldn't attempt to woo a young girl, because it would destroy her honor as well… There was no point in thinking of such things. No point at all.

He entered the noisy and crowded in, and heard the familiar,

"Hail Eomer King!"

He made his way to Gamling, who was already drinking heavily, and asked him where Eorain was. He slurred out something about the stables, and Eomer did not wait to hear more. He headed to the stables in the back of the inn. They were large, and, in some ways, nicer than the inn itself. This was more than common in Rohan, it was believed that horses would prosper if they were kept in the best stables possible, and that often meant there was less money to build housing establishments or people. Lothiriel had always scoffed at this, but it was a tradition in Rohan that could never break, even by law.

Eorain was standing by his pony, brushing down and washing him after the day's ride. He swelled with pride at the sight. He was sure that Eorain would make a great king one day; he cared so much for the people of Rohan, and for horses, and for that he would be well-loved by the people. Eomer was going to make sure, though, that he married for love, and not for convenience or political reasons. He had made that mistake, and did not want his son to be miserable with his choice as well.

Eorain turned at the sound of his heavy footfalls, and said,

"Look Father! I brushed him down all by myself!"

"Well done, Eorain," he said, mussing his son's light brown hair. He had not inherited his blonde locks, which was unfortunate, but he was as like any young man of Rohan.

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes, but I left because it is too noisy in there, and Gamling has already drunk more than his own horse."

Eomer laughed, enjoying his son's humor. He put an arm around his shoulders, and led him back into the inn, where he led him to a room away from the main hall. Eorain had begged to have his own room, and Eomer had allowed it, as long as his room was right next to Eorain's. he went into his own room, which was well furnished with a large bed with furs on it. He pulled off his boots and laid on the bed, wondering what had happened to him. He could not think of a woman in the way he had when he had seen Halan. He had Eorain to think about.

He was not particularly hungry, so decided for an early night.

He had trouble falling asleep, even though he was bone-tired. He could not get her out of his head. He was being foolish. To foolish for his own good. It was better is he forgot he had ever met her. It was so unlike him to form an attachment so quickly. He had only just met her, for Bema's sake! He wished, at some point in the night, that he could talk to Eowyn. She would have known what he should do. She always did in situations like these. But she was far away in Gondor.

He rolled over and tried to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Eomer rose feeling distinctly unrested. He walked into the hall, ignoring the greetings from all of his Eored. He knew that they had to leave that day, it was the only way he could escape his feelings. He walked straight to Gamling and Eothain and said,

"I intend to depart in a few hours, make sure the men are ready to leave by then."

They nodded, and he went to prepare Firefoot for the day's ride. By the time he had finished, most of the men were ready to leave. He saw the three brothers, saying goodbye to their father, but Halan was not with them, thank Bema. He watched Eorain mount his pony, and settle himself in the saddle. He mounted Firefoot, and gave the command for his men to do the same. They set off, and, before long, the village was out of sight, and Eomer breathed a sigh of relief.

They rode the entire day, and stopped at another small village to spend the night. Eomer saw all of his men inside, and was surprised that he didn't recognize the build of one of them. His face was covered, but he was shorter than most of his soldiers. He dismounted from an unfamiliar black gelding and darted past Eomer, before he could get a good look at his face.

After Eorain had gone to bed, he sat with Gamling and Eothain, who were drinking like horses once again. Eomer was too busy looking for the small soldier to drink as much as he usually would have done. He did not spot the soldier, even though he stayed up well past most of his men. He finally accepted that he could find the young man in the morning, or ask Gamling or Eothain who he was, once they were a little more sober. He headed to his own room again, and slept much more peacefully this night than he had the night before.

He awoke early, and splashed cold water on his face. He walked out of the inn into the main square of the small village. There were only a few people milling about on the streets, as it was not yet time for businesses to open yet. He leaned against the wall of the inn, smelling the fresh morning air and relishing the cool on his face. Then, a small figure darted past him from the stables, but this, he was not quick enough.

Eomer grabbed the soldier and pushed him against the wall. He wriggled, trying to escape, but was much too small. Eomer pulled off the helmet that obscured most of the soldier's face, and realized that he wasn't looking at a young man. He was looking at a young woman. Halan. He stood there, shocked, and then choked out,

"What in Bema's name are you doing here?"

She looked flustered at being caught. She looked at him, and he could tell she was afraid, even in the semi-darkness.

"I-I, please do not tell my brothers. Please."

"What are you doing here?" he asked again, becoming hyper-aware of the fact that his arm was resting on her stomach.

"I could not remain there. I was expected to do ladylike things. Like sew and cook and clean. And I am not that way. And then you arrived and I knew it was my one chance. My one way to escape. I love my father, I do, but I can find no adventure in my home."

He released her, slowly, and said,

"I will not tell your brothers, but it is up to you to remain undiscovered. I will not hide you."

She looked immensely relieved.

"I thank you, Eomer king."

She walked away, pulling on her helmet as she did, and leaving Eomer breathing hard and contemplating what had just happened.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I certainly thought that I had completely given up on this story. But, I recently received an anonymous review, and that is the real reason I picked up this story again. So, to whoever left that review, thank you, you have inspired me to continue. I hope you haven't quite given up yet, and please enjoy!**

An Unaccepted Love Chapter 3

What in Bema's name was he going to do? He paced back and forth the floor of his room, circling the stone floor like a great yellow-haired eagle. What was the girl thinking, leaving her family that way? She was far too much like Eowyn. She had no idea the pain that her sudden departure must have caused her father. And now he had to look after her, what else was he supposed to do? He couldn't let his men discover who she really was. He loved and respected his men like brothers, but they were away from their families for an extended period of time, and they discovered that Halan was not truly a man…he did not want to think about it.  
How was he even supposed to keep her in check? How could he successfully keep her away from his men without causing suspicion? He supposed she was young, and she looked like a young boy, perfect for a royal groom, one thing he had not brought along. He abhorred the idea of making her care for his own horse, but perhaps she could be his sort of page boy. That was what Lothiriel always called them. His men would not expect it, but they would accept it. Now he just had to find her. He stopped pacing and surveyed the room with a mixture of fear and a wild sort of excitement.  
As he walked through the town's small hall, he surveyed some of his men just waking up from their places at the table. He saw Gamling amongst them and chortled to himself, the man would never learn. He wandered out to the stables, looking around for the dark little soldier hiding her secret. He spotted her, saddling her black gelding before they rode out that day. He tapped her on the shoulder, confident enough that his bulk would cover her face from any passers-by.  
She turned to him, her face uncovered, but he noticed that she had cut off her hair. It was now short as a young boy of Rohan's which fit perfectly with his plan. He whispered to her urgently,  
"Halan, you need to listen to me, if any of my men find out whom you really are, you will be in danger. I respect my men, but I know who they are, and I do not wish you to be in any danger. So, I have a plan to keep you under my watch most of the time. You will become my royal page-boy. You can send messages to others, and you will stay by my side should I need you. You must stay away from your brothers; however, because I am sure they would recognize you at once. It is the only way to keep you safe, Halan."  
She said nothing for a few moments, and Eomer was sure that she was going to fight him, or at least argue passionately against his idea. She merely nodded, however, and said,  
"Very well, my lord Eomer."  
She then went back to tending her horse, without another word. Eomer stared; shocked that she had not tried to stay as independent and free as she seemed to have wanted to. He forced himself to turn away from her, and strode into the small stone hall once more, to announce to his men that he would be taking on a young page-boy. They did look surprised, just as he had predicted, but they put up no arguments, which he took as a good sign, and, within an hour or two, they were off once again.  
During that day's ride, Halan rode just behind him, and he was glad he could keep an eye on her. He had taken to calling her Roner for a name, and she made no objection to it. Eorain was far too excited about the sights he was seeing to pay much attention to Halan who was, supposedly, close to his own age. She stayed quiet most of the time, and only looked about with interest from time to time. Eomer tried not to watch her too much.  
That night, they made camp in the middle of a grassy field. The only light was that of the moon and the stars, for they did not want to attract any rogue orcs. It was a beautiful night, however, and Eomer lay on the grass, observing the stars for a long time. He could hear the men a little ways away from him conversing quietly, but he took no notice of them. He wanted to count the stars, to remember every one of them, so he could name them all for Eorain one day.  
He was somewhere in the two hundreds, when he felt someone sit down next to him on the grass. He looked over to see Halan, her face only covered by the mask of night. She looked up at the sky too, and for a while they were quiet. After a while she said,  
"Thank you. For not telling my brothers."  
He looked at her again. Her face was earnest and full of gratitude, and it made his heart swell in a way that he wished he could control. He was only able to murmur a quiet "You're welcome" before she said,  
"I did not wish to upset my father in any way. But the fact that he wanted me to do nothing more interesting than marry a man and run a household was infuriating. I would much rather be free, free to make my own decisions, free to do what I wish, and not have to be controlled by another every minute of my life. I do not know where I shall go, but I hope it will be somewhere where I am able to be a little freer."  
She drew a deep breath after this monologue, and Eomer watched her from the corner of his eye. He knew he should say nothing that was important. She would surely be satisfied with a few words of ascent and comfort, but he found he could not hold his tongue,  
"I wish much of the time that I had more freedom than I do. It may surprise you, but my life is planned to almost the minute. This trip was a mere whim when my-my wife left for Gondor. She makes my life almost impossible, and I am sure that she feels the same way about me. If you ever marry, I would suggest that you do it for yourself, and not because someone in your family, even your father, wants you to. Choices such as that are not meant to be made quickly or lightly, as I have learned the hard way. I may not agree with your decision to run away, but I certainly agree with your decision to only get married when you are ready. No one should be able to make that choice but you, and you should make it for the right reasons."

She kept looking at him, and it made him uncomfortable; perhaps he should not have said so much to her. She did not say anything, however, and continued to look up at the sky.

Eomer had lost count of the stars, but it was too late to start counting again. Perhaps he would begin again tomorrow. He did not notice himself drifting off in the soft grass, but was soon shaken awake by Eorain, who was eager to set off, for Gamling had told him that they were only a few days away from Helm's Deep. Eorain loved the history of Helm's Deep, and always stared with wonder at his father when he spoke of the battle there, in the last war for the Ring. Eorain was under impression that, if Eomer had not appeared with the White Wizard when he had, all of Rohan would have been taken by Sauron in that instant. This was not, strictly speaking, true, but Eomer indulged him when he told the story, which was every often.

Eorain was jumping up and down with excitement as he roused his father, and, once he saw that he was awake, he immediately went off to ready his horse, saying something to the effect that, "breakfast is for the weak."

Eomer chortled and turned over, only to see Halan sprawled out next to him, her arm thrown over her face to block the light from the rising sun. The sight of her made his stomach turn in a most uncomfortably comfortable way, and Eomer stood up quickly and roused by shaking her shoulder. She groaned quietly and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked up at him and smiled slightly. Eomer pretended not to see.

They set off about an hour later, all thanks to Eorain, who had awoken the entire camp and insisted that they eat breakfast as quickly as they could, so they could get to Helm's Deep faster. The entirety of that day's ride, he rode next to Eomer, and he and Gamling told him every story they could remember about the place. Eorain's favorite was always the last battle fought there, and he always gasped at the bravery of his father and his great-uncle Theoden.

By the time they stopped that night, Eomer told Eorain that they would reach Helm's Deep the next day, and while he was disappointed, he took heart in the fact that he would see the famous walls of the keep the next day. He went to sleep almost immediately after dinner, saying that the day would get there quicker if he went to bed earlier. Eomer could see him tossing and turning on his bedroll, and remembered the first time he was taken to the great keep and how excited he had been.

He spent most of the evening sitting with his men, and keeping an eye on Halan. She sat outside the circle, just behind Eomer, and was whistling something under her breath as she listened to the men chatter. They dropped off right where they were sitting, one by one, and soon Eomer was sure that only he and Halan remained awake. He moved slightly so he could sit down next to her, and they once again sat staring at the stars. Their silence was comfortable once again, but Eomer was the one to break it,

"When did you decide you were going to run away?" he whispered, so as not to wake any of his men.

She did not answer immediately, but continued to look at the sky.

"I do not think I could give you a precise date. It was several months before you came to the village, but I knew that I would not get far by myself. So, I waited for the opportune moment to get away, and it seemed to me that you were sent from Bema. I cut my hair that night and grabbed one of my brothers' old armor-sets. I did not know what else to do."

"I am not sure I would say you did the right thing, but then, I am not in your position."

"No, you are in a position of your own, are you not?"

Eomer was pretty sure he knew what she was going to say, and he was once again visited by the fear that he had said too much about his relationship with his wife. None of his people needed to know how much they disliked each other, even though they never really kept it a secret. Plus, he did not really want to discuss his marriage with Halan.

After a pause he said, finally,

"I suppose so."

"Why did you marry your wife, if you did not love her?"

The question was so blunt, so bold, that it caught Eomer off guard. He made a sort of choking noise of surprise, and Halan let out a giggle that she quickly stifled, lest someone should hear her.

"I am sorry, Eomer king. I did not mean to offend you," she said, still laughing.

"No, it is not that. I suppose I am not used to being asked so directly."

"I do not believe in pointless conversation."

It was Eomer's turn to laugh.

"You are a strange woman. You remind me of my sister," he paused again, thinking of Eowyn, "As to your question, at that time, I felt that I had to marry Lothiriel. Rohan was in shambles after the war; the attacks from Sauruman's Uruk-Hai were devastating, and left many men dead and thousands of people homeless. We were poor, and had no way of getting a decent harvest that year, which promised starvation that winter. In addition, we had to fight off remaining orc hoards that still roamed the lands. I was a new king, barely nineteen years old, and I had no idea what I was doing. I felt that an alliance with Dol-Amroth was Rohan's best chance. The city was rich, and could help get Rohan get back on its feet. So, I proposed marriage to Lothiriel, daughter of Prince Imrahil of Dol-Amroth. I had met the girl a total of two times when I proposed the idea to her father. He accepted, as did she. I saw no reason why we could not be happy together. I did not foresee, however, that we would have such different temperaments. She is much more proper than I, and wishes me to obey the rules of etiquette of a king. I have always wished to ride out with my men when danger calls, and always felt that people are more likely to respect a king who fights with them. It has been a long road with Lothiriel, and we are both at fault for it. At this point, we see little of each other, and have stopped trying to get along. I regret many things in my life, and my marriage is the greatest one. I think Lothiriel was born to stay by the sea, and not ride out into Rohan, with her rolling hills and grasslands. Yet, there is nothing either of us can do about it now, and I have made my choice, and must live with it."

He took a deep breath, not realizing immediately that he had confessed every marital problem he had ever had to someone he barely knew. He looked at Halan, who was looking at him.

"I am sorry. I am sorry that you had to do that, but it sounds to me like you felt you were acting for the good of Rohan."

There was no trace of sarcasm in her tone. She sounded so honest that Eomer wanted to hug her.

"I was, and I would probably do it again, if I was put in the same situation. I should have tried to negotiate with Imrahil first, however. Blindly proposing to his daughter and trying to save my home was not the best idea I have ever had."

"Maybe not, but at least you acted honestly. You did more for Rohan than many kings before you have. So next time you feel you have given Rohan a poor queen, you should remember that you have given them a fine king."  
And with that, she rolled over and went to sleep, leaving Eomer more confused than ever.


End file.
